Riders in Waymo's self-driving cars will now be insured

Riding in a self-driving car involves a certain level of risk taking, especially in these very early days of the technology. Recognizing the need to build trust among normal people, Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google-parent Alphabet, announced it would be partnering with an insurance startup to cover riders in its soon-to-be-released driverless ride-hailing service. Trov, a five-year-old insurance tech startup based in Danville, Calif., said it would work with Waymo to insure passengers for lost and damaged property and trip-related medical expenses. In other words, if your driverless Waymo is involved in a fender bender -- or, god forbid, something worse -- your robot-induced whiplash treatment will be covered. Importantly, passengers won't have to pay for the coverage, nor will they know that Trov is the insurer.